Goa, March 22 -- Columbia University has agreed to implement a mask ban and expand campus police powers in response to demands from the Trump administration, which had frozen $400 million in federal funding to the institution. The move has sparked significant debate within academic circles over the balance between government influence and academic freedom.

In a statement, Columbia University emphasized that freedom of expression is vital to fostering rigorous debate and free inquiry, which are central to its academic mission. However, the university also expressed concerns that protests and demonstrations inside academic buildings disrupt the educational environment. "Demonstrations and other protest activities that occur inside academic...